East Colfax neighborhood calls for more action after shooting leaves 1 dead, 5 injured
People who live in the East Colfax neighborhood are calling for more to be done after Tuesday's shooting left one person dead and five others injured.
Denver police were unavailable for an interview Wednesday but told CBS News Colorado that officers focus heavily on East Colfax. Police say they have recently installed multiple cameras, increased lighting, increased foot patrols, and conducted crime prevention assessments with local businesses.
Months after community leader Ma Kaing was killed by a stray bullet, some of her old neighbors say they haven't noticed increased police patrols.
"Most of the time I'm feeling unsafe," said East Colfax resident Chantal Nyiramahoro, "lots of gunshots sounding. Sometimes all night."
Nyiramahoro knows the police are working to make the area safer, but she wants to see more officers and more cameras on nearby streets.
"We are so scared to go outside," Nyiramahoro said.
Colfax business owners are well aware of those concerns and say they're keeping customers away.
"It did hurt our business honesty, and it continues to do so," said Aseel Shehadeh, owner of Buffalo Wings & Things, just a block from where Tuesday's shooting happened.
"People start gathering and shouting like 'shooting!' It just was chaotic," Shehadeh said, describing what her husband told her about the moments after the shooting. He called her from inside the restaurant right after.
"He's like, 'avoid Colfax. There has been a shooting, don't come this way,'" Shehadeh said. It's not the first time she's gotten a call like that.
"We always have safety concerns because of the illegal activities that take place there," Shehadeh said. She's worked with the Colfax partnership and law enforcement to improve safety in the area.
"We have talked to the police and they have a lot of good ideas and they have a lot of police presence, but somehow it's still happening, it hasn't stopped," Shehadeh said.
She hopes increased efforts by law enforcement and city leadership to support area businesses and residents will eventually lead to a decrease in violent crime.
